Jewish group supports Israel's 'right to self-defense'

Howard Tevlowitz, center, director of the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish
Federation, listen to speeches along with others at a standing-room-only
rally in support of Israel at Temple Beth Sholom in Sarasota.

STAFF PHOTO / CHIP LITHERLAND / chip.litherland@h

By BILL HUTCHINSON

Published: Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 8:17 a.m.

SARASOTA - Just 10 days and a world crisis ago, Tuesday night's gathering of the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation was supposed to highlight a small, informal discussion of Israeli security issues by intelligence expert John Loftus.

In the aftermath of Israel's ongoing military response to years of random bombing by terrorists in Gaza, however, the event at Temple Beth Sholom became a rally for supporters of Israel's "Right to Self Defense."

The title of the event was carefully chosen to reflect the sensitivity of federation leaders toward any perception of Israel as the aggressor in the conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 500 Palestinians.

"This is a not a celebration of anything," said Howard Tevlo- witz, federation executive director and the individual responsible for the last-minute change in the program.

To Tevlowitz and associate director Martin Haberer, both of whom have traveled to Israel more than 30 times, the retaliatory nature of Israel's recent actions has been lost in some of the international attention to the humanitarian crisis the bombings and subsequent ground war have created in Gaza.

"The tendency is to see poor, downtrodden Palestine and big muscular Israel beating them down," said Haberer.

Since beginning its bombing in late December, Israel has come under considerable verbal fire for what some perceive as disproportionately violent attacks.

That there exists a body of public opinion opposing Israel's actions frustrates both men -- "What country in the world would sit quietly for years while they were being bombed by a neighbor?" asked Tevlowitz, who came to the Sarasota-Manatee Federation from Philadelphia a few months before 9/11.

Haberer, who joined the local group from Detroit a year later, acknowledges Israel's "public relations problem." He says the notion of Israel as bully has been skillfully manipulated by Arab politicians and the media.

The Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation reorganized its event in six days, generating what was expected to be its largest crowd ever with e-mailings to about 17,000 Jewish residents of the two counties -- a more than threefold increase since the organization's founding in 1959.

The federation, which raises some $6 million a year, half of which goes to local charities, celebrates its 50th anniversary next month.

Organizers enjoy pointing out that their membership is not exclusively Jewish -- nor even their featured speakers. Loftus, former volunteer president of the Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, is an Irish Catholic.

<p><em>SARASOTA</em> - Just 10 days and a world crisis ago, Tuesday night's gathering of the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation was supposed to highlight a small, informal discussion of Israeli security issues by intelligence expert John Loftus.</p><p>In the aftermath of Israel's ongoing military response to years of random bombing by terrorists in Gaza, however, the event at Temple Beth Sholom became a rally for supporters of Israel's "Right to Self Defense."</p><p>The title of the event was carefully chosen to reflect the sensitivity of federation leaders toward any perception of Israel as the aggressor in the conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 500 Palestinians.</p><p>"This is a not a celebration of anything," said Howard Tevlo- witz, federation executive director and the individual responsible for the last-minute change in the program.</p><p>To Tevlowitz and associate director Martin Haberer, both of whom have traveled to Israel more than 30 times, the retaliatory nature of Israel's recent actions has been lost in some of the international attention to the humanitarian crisis the bombings and subsequent ground war have created in Gaza.</p><p>"The tendency is to see poor, downtrodden Palestine and big muscular Israel beating them down," said Haberer.</p><p>Since beginning its bombing in late December, Israel has come under considerable verbal fire for what some perceive as disproportionately violent attacks.</p><p>That there exists a body of public opinion opposing Israel's actions frustrates both men -- "What country in the world would sit quietly for years while they were being bombed by a neighbor?" asked Tevlowitz, who came to the Sarasota-Manatee Federation from Philadelphia a few months before 9/11.</p><p>Haberer, who joined the local group from Detroit a year later, acknowledges Israel's "public relations problem." He says the notion of Israel as bully has been skillfully manipulated by Arab politicians and the media.</p><p>The Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation reorganized its event in six days, generating what was expected to be its largest crowd ever with e-mailings to about 17,000 Jewish residents of the two counties -- a more than threefold increase since the organization's founding in 1959.</p><p>The federation, which raises some $6 million a year, half of which goes to local charities, celebrates its 50th anniversary next month.</p><p>Organizers enjoy pointing out that their membership is not exclusively Jewish -- nor even their featured speakers. Loftus, former volunteer president of the Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, is an Irish Catholic.</p>